Demand for palmtop computers, organisers and smart telephones is currently held back by the need to enter data using awkward symbols and a clumsy stylus or cramped keyboard.
Included: a palmtop computer (touted as the smallest Windows-based PC), a DVD player and a personal digital assistant that is phone, fax, modem, pager and electronic organizer all in one.
Microsoft's hardware partners in the venture-- Philips Electronics ( PHG) , Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people) and Mitsubishi--are working on new WebTV units that run Windows CE and, like palmtop computers, can run stripped down versions of Microsoft Excel and Word.